The horizontal line represents the person’s life.1619 - born1700 - died

Fabretti, Raphael

, a very learned antiquary of
Italy, was born at Urbino, of a noble family, in 1619. After
he had passed through his first studies at Cagli, he returned
to Urbino to finish himself in the law, in which he was admitted doctor at eighteen. Having an elder brother at
Rome, who was an eminent advocate, he also went thither,
and applied himself to the bar; where he soon distinguished
himself to such advantage, that he was likely to advance his
fortune. Cardinal Imperiali entertained so great an esteem
for him, that he sent him into Spain, to negociate several
important and difficult affairs; which he did with such success, that the office of the procurator fiscal of that kingdom
falling vacant, the cardinal procured it for him. Fabretti
continued thirteen years in Spain, where he was for some
| time auditor general of the Nunciature. These employments, however, did not engage him so much, but that he
found time to read the ancients, and apply himself to polite literature. He returned to Rome with cardinal Bonelli, who had been nuncio in Spain; and from his domestic became his most intimate friend. He was appointed
judge of the appeals to the Capitol; which post he afterwards quitted for that of auditor of the legation of Urbino,
under the cardinal legate Cerri. His residence in his own
country gave him an opportunity of settling his own private affairs, which had been greatly disordered during his
absence. He continued there three years, which appeared
very long to him, because his inclination to study and antiquities made him wish to settle at Rome, where he might
easily gratify those desires to the utmost. He readily accepted, therefore, the invitation of cardinal Corpegna, the
pope’s vicar, who employed him in drawing up the apostolical briefs, and other dispatches belonging to his office,
and gave him the inspection of the reliques found at Rome
and parts adjacent. AlexanderVIII. whom Fabretti had
served as auditor when cardinal, made him secretary of the
memorials, when he was advanced to the pontificate; and
had so great a value and affection for him, that he would
certainly have raised him to higher dignities, if he had lived
a little longer.

Upon the death of Alexander, Fabretti retired from business, and devoted himself entirely to his favourite amusement. He went to search antiquities in the country about
Home, without any other companion than his horse, and
without any regard to the heat or inclemency of the weather. As he always made use of the same horse, his friends
gave that animal, by way of jest, the name of Marco Polo,
the famous traveller; and said, that this horse used to discover ancient monuments by the smell, and to stop of himself immediately when he came to any ruins of an old
building. Fabretti was so well pleased with the name given
to his horse, that he used it to write a letter to one of his
friends in an ironical strain, yet full of learning, upon the
study of antiquity: but this letter was never printed. InnocentXII. obliged him to quit his retirement, and made
him keeper of the archives of the castle of St. Angelo; a
post, which is never given but to men of the most approved
integrity, since he who enjoys that place is master of all
the secrets of the pope’s temporal estate. All these
|
different employments never interrupted his researches into
antiquity; and he collected enough to adorn his paternal
house at Urbino, as well as that which he had built at Rome
after the death of AlexanderVIII. Neither could old age
divert him from his studies, nor hinder him from labouring
at the edition of his works, which he printed at his own
house. He died Jan. 7, 1700. He was a member of the
academy of the Assorditi at Urbino, and the Arcadi at
Rome.

He was the author of the following works 1 <c De Aquis
& Aquae-ductibus Veteris Romae Dissertationes tres,“Romae, 1680, 4to. This book may serve to illustrate Frontinus, who has treated of the aqueducts of Rome, as they
were in his time under the emperor Trajan. It is inserted
in the fourth volume of Graevius’s” Thesaurus Antiquitatum Romanarum.“. 2.” De Columna Trajana Syntagma.
Accesseruntexplicatio Veteris Tabellae Anaglyphae Homeri
Iliadem, atque ex Stesichoro, Arctino, et Lesche Ilii excidium continentis, et emissarii lacus Fucini descriptio,“Romae, 1683, folio. 3.” Jasithei ad Grunnovium Apologema, in ej usque Titivilitia, sive de Tito Livio somnia,
animadversiones,“Neapol. 1686, 4tp. This work is an
answer to James Gronovius’ s” Responsio ad Cavillationes
R. Fabretti,“printed at Leyden, 1685. Fabretti had given,
occasion to this dispute, by censuring, in his book” De
Aquae-ductibus,“some corrections of Gronovius; and thus
had drawn upon himself an adversary, who treated him witk
very little ceremony. Fabretti replied to him here, under
the name Jasitheus, and treated him with equal coarseness.
Gronovius called him Faber fiusticus, which he retorted by
styling his antagonist Grunnovius. 4.” Inscriptionum Antiquaruni, quae in aedibus paternis asservantur, explicatio et
additamentum,“Romae, 1699, folio. Fabretti had an admirable talent in decyphering the most difficult inscriptions, and discovered a method of making something out
of those which seemed entirely disfigured through age, and
the letters of which were effaced in such a manner as not
to be discernible. He cleaned the surface of the stone,
without touching those places where the letters had been,
engraven. He then laid upon it a piece of thick paper well
moistened, and pressed it with a spunge, or wooden pin
covered with linen; by which means the paper entered
into the cavity of the letters, and, taking up the dust there,
Discovered the traces of the letters. M. Baudelot, in his
| book” De FUtilitc* des Voyages,“informs us of a secret
very like this, in order to read upon medals those letters
which are difficult to be deciphered. 5.” A Letter to the
abb Nicaise,“containing an inscription remarkable for
the elegance of its style, inserted in the” Journal des Seavans“of Dec. 1691. He left unfinished” Latium vetus
illustratum." Fabretti discovers in his writings a lively
genius, a clear and easy conception, and a great deal of
learning. 1

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